The Ties That Bind
by angel-eyes8611
Summary: Deception. Beguilement. Bluff, mystification, subterfuge. These are all acts to propagate beliefs that are not true, or not the whole truth. It can involve dissimulation, propaganda, and sleight of hand, as well as distraction, camouflage, or concealment. There are five types of deception. In this case, of the deception of Sakura, all five would come into play. {GaaSaku}
1. Prologue

**: PROLOGUE :**

* * *

When I woke up, darkness greeted me as I opened my eyes. I momentarily panicked (as I always did when I awoke) but memory quickly returned to me, followed by a soothing wave of relief. There were no longer dire consequences for sleeping; Shukaku was gone, and had been for years as of late. My head ached from the restless slumber I had just endured, and I briefly wondered if sleeping at all was beneficial for someone like myself. I could stay wide awake all night with no qualms or difficulties, vigilantly watching over my village and my people, without experiencing the supposedly taxing side-effects of insomnia. Yet every time I did sleep, every time without fail, it seemed, a throbbing migraine always awaited me when I woke.

I have not gotten used to this nightly pastime (to others it was a habit if not a luxury, a necessity that was completely commonplace, but to me it was and would always be a 'pastime') and I have an inkling that I never quite will. As a child I had always wished to sleep, to be like everyone else and rest my tortured mind if only for a single night, but only later did I realize that such a basic need would always be a foreign concept to me - one that proved more harmful than helpful. With all this in mind I would frequently ask myself why I slept at all. To feel normal, perhaps? No, I was not normal. That much would never change, not even with sleep, and I had accepted this fate of mine long ago. Was it for the rest, the temporary stillness of my mind? Certainly not - I had already ruled out this option, if the inevitable migraines were any indication. My sleep was anything but soothing. If not any of these reasons, then what could it possibly be? Why would I sleep, despite the detrimental aftermath? Ah, yes... Then I'd remember, as if I could ever forget - it was the dreams.

The first few times I had dreamed, I was quite alarmed. I had gotten the events of the waking world confused with the nightly visions and had feared, while in the dream, that the events of my life had not actually come to pass. I didn't know what was real and what was fake - what was the truth and what was merely a figment of my morbid imagination. It hadn't taken me long to distinguish these things, but it was initially disorienting nonetheless.

My first dream was grim, if not horrific to most. I was a child of four years at most, and a woman held me in her arms as I sat upon her lap. She seemed familiar... It was then that I realized it was my first victim: my very own mother. She cuddled me close and whispered sweet nothings into my ear, saying my name and outright voicing her affection for me - but I felt oddly on edge. I could not see her face, for her hair covered her visage and hid her expression. At this I was only relieved, however, because for some inexplicable reason I did not wish to see.

I squirmed in her grasp and called out to her, but she only held me tighter. I gasped out in pain, bitter tears gathering in my eyes - why wasn't the sand stopping her? - when her mouth twisted into a wicked grin; a harsh, familiar chuckle escaped the thin barrier of her lips. My fear spiked, and my terror grew tenfold. I struggled harder, attempting to break free of her rough grasp, but it was in vain. Despite my mother's seemingly lithe frame she was extremely tenacious, and she rendered me immobile without much difficulty at all. Cold tears flowed down my face at this point, my heart hammering painfully in my small chest. I begged her to let me go when she finally looked up at me through her short, sandy hair.

_But I love you, Gaara_, she claimed in a mockingly loving tone that was truly anything but the latter. I froze immediately at the sound of her voice, which was distorted and rough, sadistically sweet. Her face was normal at first glace, but upon further inspection one could see the other side marred and twisted with fangs protruding, saliva dripping from the corner of her mouth, and a familiar black eye with a blazing gold, diamond-shaped pupil, which pinned me to the spot in horror. It seemed that, even while he was gone, Shukaku still haunted me. I screamed as she - _he_ - laughed manically, crushing me in an embrace that literally broke my very bones. I had woken up with an uncharacteristic gasp, the air stuck in my parched throat, and sweat beaded my brow.

Needless to say, I did not sleep again for months after that particular experience.

Contrary to what people may believe, I did not always have night terrors when I slept. Sometimes, on rare occasions when I was lucky, I would dream of happier days, such as the times I was under the custody of Yashamaru. I dreamed of things that had never actually happened, like my siblings standing up for me against our father when we were young. While this could be considered a good dream (I believe that term is relative), I held no grudge over the fact that some of these events did not, in fact, come to pass. Though I'd never admit it out loud my siblings are two of the people I hold most dear to me, and as such I do not hold the past against them.

I even dreamed of more recent times, such as spending time with Uzumaki Naruto - my friend and fellow jinchūriki (though I have long since forfeited the latter title, not that I'm complaining). I must admit, this 'ramen' concoction was still as revolting in the dream as it is in reality; despite this, the dream itself was not unwelcome in the least.

But even so, these were not the dreams I slept for - not the nocturnal reveries that I sought, even at risk of suffering from another night terror - not the nightly hallucinations that I yearned for despite the throbbing migraine and aching physical condition that would inevitably follow... It was for those eyes - those breathtakingly passionate and infuriatingly defiant eyes that secretly thrilled me ever since that fateful day at the Chūnin Exams. Those eyes had haunted me from then onwards, and continue to do so even to this day; those eyes were a particular shade of green.

Haruno Sakura was her name, I later discovered. As a genin she had been so weak and downright pathetic that it was almost laughable; that was my first impression of her upon meeting Team Seven. She was a naïve little girl who was only playing ninja to win the affections of a certain arrogant Uchiha, who used Uzumaki as her personal whipping boy, despite the fact that he loved her much more than she ever deserved. She was pampered and ungrateful - a foolish child as ridiculous as her obnoxiously revolting pink hair... And I absolutely despised her, right from the very moment I had laid my eyes upon her.

She had everything I had ever wanted, everything I lacked, and she represented that which I could never have. Friends, family, innocence, love... She took it all for granted. Her very existence contradicted my own, spited my own, and made me doubt myself and my extreme existentialistic ideals. When she had jumped in front of me to shield and protect the Uchiha, willingly sacrificing her own life for another so easily, I had only hated her much, much more through my consternation. How dare she stand up to me to save the Uchiha? How dare she look at me with those eyes - those fiercely determined green eyes? How _dare_ she...? Such selfishness and love - she was mocking me with that gaze, and I felt as though I had never loathed anyone more than I ever had in that one moment.

In that same moment, I had decided to kill her in the cruelest way possible. I would kill - no, _devastate_ her, completely _destroy_ her. I longed to make her cry, scream, bleed... I wanted to obliterate she who was Haruno Sakura and everything she represented - _slowly _- from the inside out. I would break her spirit, make her experience the hell that I had lived my whole life, and make her beg for mercy... Then, and only then, would I deal out the final blow, make her pleas for forgiveness turn into blood-curdling screams of agony... I had almost succeeded, too; I had pinned her to that tree to keep her from fleeing, saving her for later after I dealt with her meddlesome teammates. After killing Uzumaki and Uchiha I had planned on going back for her, where I would have taken my time torturing her. I would have killed her psychologically, mentally, spiritually, making her an emotionless shell of her former self, before brutally ending her existence. That was the plan - but my schemes were ultimately foiled by Uzumaki Naruto and his will to protect the ones he loved...

Never before have I been more relieved over a personal failure, I realized soon after my reflection of that day. To say it had been a very close call would be a severe understatement.

* * *

A/N: So, this is the prologue to my new GaaSaku! I'm having a fun time writing from Gaara's perspective. I think I can make it more realistic this way. Anyway, this prologue may seem a little slow, but the next chapter will dive into the plot! I used this to sort of 'set the stage' so to speak, and it mostly consists of flashbacks with his inner thoughts revealed. I hope you liked it, maybe review and stick around!


	2. Chapter 1

**: CHAPTER ONE :**

* * *

I woke up from a dreamless slumber that day, much to my chagrin, early in the morning. The sun was just rising, the pale rays of light stretching over the golden village shrouded in the sand, and for once in a long while I was allowed the luxury of taking my time in getting ready. I stood from my bed and carefully smoothed out the wrinkled silk covers below me (the décor and embellishments of the Kazekage's quarters were not particularly to my liking, to say the least, yet it is tradition to have them in place and so I allowed them to remain intact for this reason alone). Though technically such a menial task like making beds was a job for servants rather than Kage, I always took such mundane chores on myself as to not put my responsibilities onto others. Call it 'kind', 'thoughtful', or whatever you'd like - I will not deny these things - but I simply viewed it as 'efficient', nothing more, nothing less.

I strode across the spacious room and stepped inside the rather commodious walk-in closet that held the few pairs of clothes I owned (a grand number of eight total, aside from my official Kazekage robes) and vaguely noted that said garments were folded neatly, side by side, on the third shelf up, while my robes were hanging on the adjacent rack as to not become wrinkled along with the matching hat - a horrendous article indeed. The rest of the wardrobe was completely bare, much to my amusement and Temari's dismay. I could not count the number of times my sister had tried to drag me into one of her 'shopping sprees', as she called them, though I do know that each attempt was met with an equally solid refusal. She would switch between badgering me into filling the expanse wardrobe and pining over it herself, despite her own rather spacious quarters. To put it simply, she was completely and utterly contradictory. The female species is one I shall never quite fathom, and I have long since stopped trying.

I ran a hand through my messy morning hair and sighed, rubbing my temples in an effort to ward off the impending migraine. Grabbing the nearest set of clothes, I padded across the hard floor over to the equally expanse bathroom which was connected to my bedroom. I quickly discarded my night clothes, which consisted of black trousers and a black long-sleeved shirt, and stepped into the shower. I turned the knob on the hottest setting and allowed the scorching droplets to rain down upon me as I lost myself in thought.

There was a reason I was allowed to take my time this morning, and that was because it was no ordinary day. Today was a necessary day to prepare for the events of the rest of the week, ultimately, because in this following week would be the Chūnin Exams. It had only been six years since I participated in them myself and they were now being held in Konoha once more; only this time, I was attending as the Kazekage and honorable guest. It had been exactly six years since that day, with those eyes...

I stared down at the scalding water spiraling down the drain, a diminutive amount of sand - it never ceases to amaze me how I always have grains of it stuck on me somehow or another - collecting in the grout lines between the tiles that, together, meshed to create the shower floor. Tendrils of steam coiled up and twisted in the air, the atmosphere seemingly weighed down by the heavy humidity. I absentmindedly uncapped the bottle that was previously set on the shelf and squeezed out a dollop of shampoo, the scentless transparent liquid pooling in the palm of my hand. Going through the normal routine of showering, I reached up and lathered the soapy fluid in my hair mechanically as a whirlwind of thoughts flowed through my mind.

In a few short hours I would meet with Nara Shikamaru, who was the ambassador of Konoha, and a team of Leaf shinobi who would escort me on my journey along with my two personal body guards, Temari and Kankurō. All in all it would be a party consisting of five jōnin-level shinobi and one Kage; three Leaf and three Sand. I could take the journey myself and eliminate any threats I encountered with ease - I personally thought that such high security was overkill and wasted on the likes of me - but I would not go against protocol. Since I would be under the care of Konoha in the proceeding weeks, I was technically their responsibility- thus the reason for such protective measures.

I twisted the knob once more until the water raining down on me felt like frigid ice, the tingling sensation leaving gooseflesh on my body, which woke me up properly and jolted me out of my rather distracting thoughts. After thoroughly rinsing off I stepped out of the shower, feeling around for the towel hanging outside the door as I shook my head to rid my hair of excess water. I quickly dried myself off before draping said towel around my waist, grabbing the set of clothes I had previously set out and heading to my bedroom to change.

My attire still consisted of the same outfit I wore when not dressed formally in my Kazekage robes; full-length dark trousers, a long-sleeved crimson coat with flaring hemlines on the front and the back, a grey holster vest held in place by a single strap over my left shoulder and by two buckled belts which I use to carry my gourd, another pair of casually worn belts around my waist. Not much had changed in the two years after the Fourth Shinobi World War besides the peace between nations, and such menial things were no exception.

I proceeded to pack up the bare necessities for my week-long trip to Konoha, placing the shoulder bag by the door for later as I continued on through the house. The scent of breakfast wafted down the hallways and assaulted my senses with its intensity; it seemed Temari had dismissed the chefs for the day, for the foul scent that tainted the air was undoubtedly her doing. I resisted the urge to shudder and rounded the corner, mentally preparing myself for the torture to come.

"Good morning, Gaara!" Temari greeted, throwing me a bright, sunny smile over her shoulder. I simply raised a brow at her cheerful attitude; she seemed to be in a very amiable mood, for some inexplicable reason...

"Good morning." I returned with a nod, seating myself at the kitchen table. I vaguely saw that she was stirring something in a mixing bowl; something sticky and black, by the looks of it. Viscid tendrils of what very well could have passed as tar or oil practically bubbling... I banished the image from my mind at once if only to save my already dwindling appetite.

"How'd you sleep?" She inquired pleasantly, confirming my suspicions that she was indeed up to something.

"Fine." I replied shortly.

"Well, good! Breakfast is almost ready. I'm making mochiko pancakes!" Ah, so that was what she was concocting, I noted grimly... I didn't know much about cooking or food, but I was quite certain that mochiko pancake batter was not supposed to be an inky black.

A few minutes later she placed a hot, steaming plate of... Mochiko pancakes, she had claimed, though I would hardly call them that... In front of me.

"Here's the syrup," she chirped - I never would have imagined that my sister was capable of such a thing as chirping - as she placed said item on the table. I could see the thick, amber-colored liquid through the glass container it was held in, and briefly wondered if it would be a better idea to have the molasses for breakfast instead of Temari's homemade food. Surely it would prove to be more beneficial to my health, or at the very least not detrimental to it as the latter would prove to be...

"Alright," Temari wiped her hands on a kitchen towel, "Now to go get Kankurō..." I waited until my sister disappeared around the corner before standing to brew myself a cup of breakfast tea. I stared down at the tan, milky fluid and sipped at it slowly, reveling in the last peaceful moments that would be allowed for the rest of the week. The tranquility would be broken in three, two... One...

"IF YOU'RE NOT AT THE KITCHEN TABLE IN THIRTY SECONDS, THEN YOU'RE GOING TO FIND YOURSELF IN A WORLD OF PAIN! DO YOU HEAR ME?" Temari's voice boomed down the hallway and I inwardly cringed from the sound but did not feel any sympathy for my brother. In the end, I knew Kankurō only instigated our older sister most of the time; why was beyond me, but it was for this reason that I did not pick sides when they were fighting.

"I heard you the first time! Damn..." Kankurō grumbled as he entered the room, his mouth twisted down in a scowl. He proceeded to sit across me and, after a moment of silence, his eyes landed on the 'breakfast' on the table.

"What the hell is that?" He hissed quietly in an attempt to hide his voice from our enraged sister, but I merely shrugged in neutrality. He cautiously reached forward to grab one, as if it would bite him upon contact. For a moment I entertained the idea, deciding the notion was a rather valid possibility. I watched dubiously as he opened his mouth to take a bite of the pancake, only for him to nearly convulse once it came into contact with his tongue. When Temari's footsteps could be heard from the nearby hallway, he quickly recovered and regained his composure.

"We only have half an hour until we leave to Konoha, so eat up!" Temari sang as she swept into the room, her previous disgruntled mood vanishing in an instant as if it had never been. Kankurō raised a brow at her cheerful attitude, exactly how I had earlier that morning, and we shared a puzzled glance before realization dawned on his face. His perplexed expression twisted into a knowing smirk, which piqued my curiosity.

"You seem to be in fine mood this morning, Temari..." He drawled smugly.

"No help from you, but as a matter of fact, I am." She replied as she made his plate, piling on pancake after pancake; he paled at the sight. It served him right for having such a monstrous appetite most of the time - the amount on his plate was indeed his normal serving size, after all. He threw me a panicked glance and I allowed a small smirk to appear on my face for the briefest of moments so that only Kankurō would see, and he openly glared at me as a result. Regardless of how many dirty looks he gave me it didn't change the situation. I was curious to see how he'd wriggle out of this one without enraging Temari. I would simply decline from breakfast by saying I wasn't hungry, but this excuse would not work for my brother. We both knew this.

"So, why are you in such a good mood?" Kankurō asked in an attempt to distract Temari while he hid pancakes on his person when her back was turned.

"No reason in particular." She answered swiftly without missing a beat. Hm... She was hiding something; there was no doubt about it.

"No reason at all? None? Not even a pineapple-haired shadow-nin by the name of Nara Shikamaru, who just happens to be Konoha's ambassador who we will meet momentarily?" Kankurō grinned wider with each passing word. Ah, so that was it, I realized. The Nara was the source of her high spirits. I recalled that she had affections for that particular Leaf shinobi for quite some time.

"Hmph. Think what you'd like, Kanky, but I'm not telling." Temari stuck her tongue out at my brother and he flipped her off as a result. I sighed quietly. It were times like these that I had a hard time believing that these two were my siblings at all, much less my older siblings...

The sound of the kitchen window breaking was the only warning of the sudden attack.

My sand quickly raised to envelope my family and myself from whatever had come through the window, and only a single moment of shrill beeping could be heard; it was a bomb, I realized with a start. It detonated momentarily on the counter amongst the newly shattered glass, and the force of the blast fragmented the windows in the surrounding rooms. The clamorous roar of commotion reverberated throughout my entire being, and for a moment I truly believed my ear drums had broken from the very sound. The explosion blasted away the contents of the room, large wooden splinters of what previously was the kitchen table impaling my sand shield but not fully penetrating. Smoke and dust clouded the room like an impenetrable smog, making it difficult to breathe. Though I couldn't see them, I could hear Temari and Kankurō coughing in an attempt to rid their lungs of the debris to no avail as my eyes stung with moisture from the pungency of the air.

The pillar of fiery smoke and dust, still boiling up from where the bomb had gone off, was being violently agitated. A series of flashes broke out, lifting and spreading the incinerating gasses, and then a great gush of flame rose. Great rags of fire, changing from red to violet and back through the spectrum to red again, went soaring away to dissipate in the upper atmosphere since the roof had been partially blown away. Geysers of hot ash and molten rock spouted upward; some of the white-hot debris landed precariously close to my siblings, yet my sand held strong and blocked the onslaughts. I felt sweat bead heavily at my brow from the smoldering heat of the multiple fires in the room, and I quickly wiped away the offending moisture to keep my vision clear - not that I could see much through the black smoke to begin with.

"Fūton: Daitoppa!" I heard Temari's hoarse, ash-ridden voice call out and all at once the smoke was cleared, the dark cloud pushed out the wall that had been fully obliterated in the blast. Being the intelligent kunoichi my sister is, I knew she had made sure to create a gust of wind strong enough to smother out the flames rather than excite them. With the threat of being poisoned by the polluted air gone, I closed my eyes and felt with my sand for the attacker... But it appeared that they had fled in the commotion without a trace.

"How troublesome." Came a nonchalant voice from my left. Where there was once a wall now stood a gaping hole, and in it was none other than Nara Shikamaru. He quickly jumped into the room and held his hands in a sign, preparing himself for a fight.

"The attacker has fled; they are no longer in the vicinity." I informed, dropping my shield. My ears rang loudly, causing my earlier migraine to come back at full force and then some. I ran a hand over my scalp to ease the pain, if only a little.

"We saw the explosion from the city gates! What's going on here?!" Boomed an all too familiar, all too obnoxious voice as a blur of orange and black sprung up beside the shadow-nin. Naruto made his way through the wreckage and checked the other rooms for the enemy, despite the fact that they were no longer present.

"That guy's got some nerve, attacking then running away with his tail between his legs! I'll find him and beat him to a pulp, dattebayo-"

"No, Naruto. It's fine. They've escaped already." I swiftly interrupted, brushing the debris off myself as I stood. I immediately felt like reeling on my feet from the backlash of the explosion, my stomach churning with violent nausea. I was suddenly glad I hadn't eaten breakfast. Kankurō, however... Wasn't so lucky, to say the least. I tuned out the sound of my brother's retching and closed my eyes, grasping at my aching head.

"Let me help you with that." I cracked an eye open to observe the pink-haired kunoichi now standing before me, appearing seemingly out of no where. So Team Seven had been the group sent to accompany me back to Konoha, it seemed; I really wasn't surprised. After all, Team Seven was one of the best teams in Leaf and all the shinobi nations. I nodded at her silent question and she raised her hands to my face, her gentle green chakra flowing through my temples. The sensation was similar to cool water flowing inside my head, flushing away the aches and pains within. I felt a relieved sigh leave my lips as the ringing in my ears ceased along with the migraine.

"Thank you." I nodded in gratitude when she was done, and she gave a friendly smile in response.

"No problem, Gaara-kun." She said before leaving to check on my siblings. I almost smirked when she addressed me with such casualness. She probably didn't realize it, but Sakura was the only one who used such an honorific for me since... Well, ever. Right from my birth I had always been addressed with -sama. Naruto and my siblings didn't use any form of honorific for me, just as I didn't for them, and a mere few such as Rock Lee ever addressed me with -san, while only Matsuri appropriately called me -sensei. But that all changed after I became Kazekage. Ever since then I had been referred to by my title and -sama, or nothing at all. None of these things usually bothered me, but it did feel nice to be treated like everyone else once in a while and to not be put up on a pedestal, if only by an unknowing, friendly Sakura.

I watched her back as she crossed the room, my fingers brushing over my temple appreciatively before following her to my siblings.

"Way to start the morning with a bang..." Kankurō grumbled as Sakura tended to Temari's throat, which had been caked with ash from performing the jutsu.

"Kazekage-sama!" I turned to see an urgent-looking Baki quickly making his way through the charred remains of the room, a team of Suna shinobi trailing behind him. They rushed to my side though the threat was already gone, fussed over my well-being despite the fact that I suffered from no injury other than the migraine which had already been treated.

"Send out a team to search the perimeters of the village for intruders." I ordered, and the shinobi nodded respectfully before rushing off to do my bidding. I was quite sure that, whoever the enemy was, had already left while we were distracted, yet I couldn't be certain and wouldn't be as irresponsible to leave anything up to assumption.

"With all do respect, Kazekage-sama, I do not think taking the journey back to Konoha today would be a wise decision." Shikamaru informed, standing to my side. It was still early in the day, but with all the commotion this morning I knew he was right. I had an investigation to organize, threats to eliminate, and now an awful amount of paperwork ahead of me. Today would be a very long day, right from the start...

"Very well. We shall depart early tomorrow morning. For tonight you and your team may stay at a nearby inn, the same one my siblings and I will be occupying for the evening while repairs are being done on the Kazekage Residence. Until then, feel free to see what Suna has to offer." I welcomed our unexpected Leaf guests with a respectful nod.

"Awesome! Ne, Sakura-chan, wanna go out on a date?" Naruto waggled his brows suggestively with a grin, followed by a sharp elbow to the ribs by the pinkette.

"This isn't a vacation, Naruto!" The Leaf kunoichi snapped irritably, a disapproving scowl on her face.

"Oh yeah, sorry... Uh, do you need any help with anything?" The blonde asked and rubbed the back of his neck, slightly embarrassed by his previous actions. My lips quirked in amusement and I shook my head.

"That won't be necessary." I assured him.

"Okay! Catch you later, Gaara! Now, about that date... Ow!" I smirked listening to the Leaf teammates as they left, and it wasn't long until their footsteps faded into nothingness. I turned to my siblings, who were now healed back to their normal selves.

"Is there anything we can do, Kazekage-sama?" Temari asked formally, implying her and Kankurō. I took a moment to consider.

"You could assist in the investigation, but there really isn't much else that can be done for now. I will take care of the paperwork and reconstructions and will call you if I need anything. You two are dismissed."

"Understood, Kazekage-sama. Come on Lazy-Ass." I watched my sister drag the reluctant Nara out the open wall - the concept of using the door seemed silly at this point - while he muttered something under his breath that vaguely sounded like 'troublesome'. I began to walk to my office, or what was left of it, but stopped once I realized Kankurō was still in the room. I looked at him pointedly, wordlessly asking him why he was still here, but he was too preoccupied shaking out his clothes to notice...

When nearly a dozen black mochiko pancakes fell from the inside of his shirt he sighed in relief.

"Whew! Now _that_ was a close call..." I shook my head slightly at my brother and once again headed to my office, mentally dreading the work ahead of me. The peaceful moments were long gone, indeed.

* * *

I twirled a pen between my fingers absentmindedly, my chin resting in my other palm with my elbow propped up on my desk. It had been nearly ten hours since what I had classified as an assassination attempt upon me and my family occurred. Since then I had been filing documents recording the event for further assessment by the investigation team and organizing a repair company to reconstruct the Kazekage Residence. Earlier I had called Oashu, the nicest hotel in Suna, and rented two rooms side by side: one for me and my siblings, and the other for the Leaf shinobi. I had also sent out a messenger hawk to inform the Hokage of our delayed arrival. Everything was set in place for my leave; Baki would man the desk in my absence and lead the investigation until my return after seven days, and he himself had reassured me of this fact.

I stared down at the papers in front of me, which practically screamed for my attention, and glared. Unfortunately they did not spontaneously combust under my gaze as I had hoped, rather they remained perfectly intact and looked smugly back at me. Disappointed in the failure of my efforts while dimly noting the absurdity of my thoughts, I briefly pondered the possibility that I was mentally insane... But it was no matter, I concluded. As long as other people did not witness these moments of mental instability, then there was no problem.

Yet the crisp white stationary radiated vaingloriously up at me still... And with that I decided it was time for a much needed break.

I closed my eyes as I felt the gust of wind and sand take me elsewhere, and when I opened them again I stood not in my office but rather on a flat piece of desert hidden by large rocks behind the Kazekage Residence. It was my personal hideout, a sanctuary of sorts, to get away from... Well, everything and anything. The office, the fangirls, the restless nights... The list itself was eternal, and when I needed clarity this was my escape.

I felt the evening sun warm my back as I walked towards the cliff side and proceeded to sit on the edge, a hot gust of wind picking up the sand around me and rustling my hair as the rough grains scratched my exposed skin. I closed my eyes and took it all in, for soon I would be away from the comfort of my desert and thrust into the unfamiliarity of Konoha's forests.

"Good evening, Kazekage-sama." I heard a teasing, female voice from behind, and I inwardly cursed. How had someone stumbled across my sanctum? The only ones who knew of it were me and my siblings, and they knew not to bother me here. I turned around to address the person, hoping it wasn't a fangirl-

And a fangirl it was not. I was met with the sight of a lithely framed, pale girl with petal-pink hair and emerald eyes: Haruno Sakura. I had certainly been running into her a lot today, I mused.

"Haruno-san." I nodded back, noting her earlier sarcastic formality and thus replying appropriately.

"Mind if I join you?" She asked with a smile, and I wordlessly gestured at the space beside me in confirmation. Sakura was actually very decent company, the kind that I usually preferred when need be. She was intelligent and, despite the fact that I was never much of a conversationalist, our talks always proved interesting or insightful in the end. The last time we enjoyed a private talk was shortly before the Fourth Shinobi World War two years previous when the Chūnin Exams were hosted in Suna, where Naruto was disqualified for his use of senjutsu... Baka.

"It seems your day has been interesting so far, all things considered." Sakura grinned as she positioned herself over the edge of the cliff, sitting a just couple feet to my left.

"Right." I grumbled with a scowl. The pink-haired kunoichi chuckled as she kicked her feet aimlessly in the open air below us.

"Have you found any leads yet?" She inquired on a more somber note.

"Nothing concrete. There's only circumstantial evidence, though I do have a few theories." I elaborated wearily, the tiresome events of the day finally catching up with me. She nodded and tapped her chin with a contemplative finger.

"Would you like to hear my thoughts on this matter, Kazekage-sama?"

"Only if you stop calling me that." I muttered, throwing her a warning, sidelong glance. She rolled her eyes in mock exasperation.

"Right, right, Gaara-kun." Satisfied with the formalities dropped, I silently encouraged her to speak her thoughts. Maybe a fresh perspective was what I needed in this situation.

"After Naruto and I had lunch we caught up with Shikamaru and Temari, and we were tossing around some possible scenarios. We were waiting at the city gates for departure when we heard the explosion. None of us actually witnessed the assailant flee from the area much less the city, yet they were obviously gone in the very short amount of time it took for us to arrive on the scene. Meaning..."

"...It could have been an inside job." I finished for her. Yes, this possibility had crossed my mind a few times considering my past, though I had a feeling that there was more to it than that. With the revenge motive in mind, why would they wait until now of all times to attack?

"Well, that's only one possibility. It very well could have been a native Sunan. Either that, or the perpetrator has connections with someone in Suna and is laying low inside the city for the time being so they can flee later. But in the end, there are just too many variables to draw a solid conclusion." Sakura sighed, staring off into the distant horizon where the sun was setting. I nodded slowly as we were enveloped in a comfortable silence, the only sound coming from the wind whistling through the surrounding crags. Eventually the sun dipped underneath the skyline, the golden sand turning a muted tan from the pale, diminishing light of dusk.

"When night falls the wind can get violent," I informed as I stood, dusting myself off. "It's best we head back to the others now."

"Naruto is going to flip since I was gone all evening..." Sakura grumbled as she got to her feet.

"How did you manage to get rid of him to begin with?" I ventured with a small smirk at the thought of my ramen-obsessed, enamored friend. Sakura snorted in a very unladylike manner and rolled her eyes.

"Well it wasn't easy, I'll tell you that much. I considered going back to the hotel to get some studying done for this new technique I'm learning, but I felt like I deserved a break. And that's when I found that little spot back there by the cliff." I nodded in understanding, in sympathy. It wasn't often that I took breaks from work, but every once in a while I felt entitled to escape if only for a little while. It seemed she was the same.

"...I thought you said this wasn't a vacation." I deadpanned, and she flushed in embarrassment from her hypocrisy. What an interesting shade of red, I mused.

"Yeah, well, just don't tell Naruto!" She hissed threateningly, but the small quirk of her lips showed her true mirth.

"Your secret is safe with me." I affirmed with a hint of sarcasm.

Since we were only a short walking distance away from the hotel, it didn't take long for us to return. I bid Sakura, Naruto, and Shikamaru a good night and closed the door, pretending not to hear Naruto's bombardment of questions regarding Sakura's whereabouts during the evening. I smirked a bit at this and went to the next room, wondering what Naruto's reaction would be if he knew she spent her evening with me.

"Hey Gaara, where have you been?" Kankurō inquired as I closed the door behind myself with an inaudible click. He was sprawled out on one of the three futons spread out on the floor watching something on the television with a lot of explosions. How ironic.

"Taking a walk." I answered honestly, not willing to indulge in details.

"Eh. Temari's in the shower. I'm gonna hit the sack before she get's out and starts her bitching." Kankurō grumbled as he pulled the covers over his head. I remained silent to this and instead bent down to retrieve the remote, shutting off the television as Kankurō's snores filled the room shortly after.

I stared out the window when something caught my attention: it was open. All of a sudden I felt oddly paranoid... The hairs on the back of my neck rose as I neared it, and I discreetly let some of my sand out to scope the area. There was someone watching, someone with insidious intent my instincts told me. Grabbing the thick, silken curtains I pulled them open to reveal... Nothing. There was only a view of the desert splayed beneath me illuminated by the pale moon light, giving the sand a light blue glow. I frowned, my eyes narrowing in suspicion. Something was out of place, my intuition practically screamed at me. Yet there was nothing...

"Gaara?" My sister's voice broke me out of my thoughts. I made sure to pull the curtains tightly shut before turning to face her.

"What are you doing?" She inquired, rubbing a towel through her wet hair. I inwardly deliberated confiding in her and expressing my concerns before shaking my head.

"It's nothing - go to sleep."

"Uh, okay. What about you?" She asked with a frown, her eye brow quirking up.

"I'm going to keep watch. Good night." I didn't wait for her answer and instead dematerialized into a tornado of sand, reappearing on the roof directly above the room. I carefully ventured towards the edge and settled down in the junction of the ceiling and where the frame arched up, my back resting against the cool metal tiles. Staring off into the night, deeply lost in thought, I failed to notice the glowing red eyes in the darkness.

* * *

A/N: I am such a slow writer! I'll sit in front of the computer all day long writing and only get about a paragraph or two that I'm actually satisfied with before I delete the rest. I apologize in advance for my slowness. I always update as soon as I'm done writing a chapter, yet I write at my leisure. But I hope it's worth it! So here's the new chapter, and I hope you like it. ;)

I've noticed that in a lot of stories that are NOT NaruSaku, the author just automatically makes him be with Hinata so that his affections won't affect the budding romance between Sakura and the other character, or so that he won't be upset over Sakura being with someone else. I think that's the easy way out, so in this story Naruto still likes Sakura. Oh, the conflict!

Big shout outs to **Nee-han93**, **darkstar2010**, **xBUzzOFF15x**, and** leafstone** for reviewing! You guys are awesome and made my day, hehe. And I thank all the others who favorite-d and are following this story. The encouragement, direct and indirect, is much appreciated. ;3

Also, I would like to thank my editor/boyfriend for helping me out as always. If not for him this story would have taken a much more generic route, and we don't want that! xP


	3. Chapter 2

**: CHAPTER TWO :**

* * *

The concept known as déjà vu is a very strange experience, I decided, with an equally bizarre sensation akin to what could be described as nostalgia. It is supposedly caused by a person having a brief glimpse of an object or situation before the brain has completed constructing a full conscious perception of the experience. Such a partial perception then results in a false sense of familiarity. The explanation that has mostly been accepted of déjà vu is not that it is an act of precognition or prophecy, but rather that it is an anomaly of memory, giving the false impression that an experience is being recalled.

I experienced this very sensation when I walked through the gates of Konoha for the second time in my life, the first being six years ago. Then, I had been an unstable monster who was feared by all, an instrument of revenge and destruction. I had walked through those gates under the anxious scrutiny of others, and for good reason. Glaring at everything, loathing everyone, wanting so desperately to destroy it all; these feelings were only amplified by the air of hospitality that Konoha gave off.

This time, however, was very different.

The second time I walked through the gates of Konoha, I was considered an honored guest - the Godaime Kazekage, still feared but also revered. The protector and leader of Suna, strong yet merciful; I was finally the kind of person I had longed to be ever since the first visit, though I never ceased in my quest to better myself and the world around me. As I walked down those streets I was still under the scrutiny of others, as I always would be, but this time it was mostly out of curiosity. This was something I would welcome with open arms over fear any day.

We had departed from Suna early that morning at daybreak for our excursion to Konoha. Though I cannot speak for my travel companions - who looked a little worse for wear, to say the least, by the end of the journey - the trek through the desert was actually quite pleasant for me. We had showed up in Leaf later that afternoon without further problem. My siblings and I had met with the Hokage shortly after our arrival to discuss the details of our stay while our Leaf escorts were right behind us, ready for debriefing. We departed soon afterward to give the Hokage and her shinobi some privacy, though I couldn't get away quickly enough to evade Naruto's mandatory group invitation for ramen later that evening. I had reluctantly accepted - not that I had much of a choice to begin with - and afterward I had been released to experience what Konoha had to offer.

I took a walk through downtown Konoha, where the streets were less crowded. Not many people were out now that evening was steadily approaching, the sun nearing the horizon slowly but surely. This was the part of town where civilians mostly congregated I realized as men arrived home from their day jobs, their wives meeting them at the door with a chaste kiss on the cheek while their children hugged their knees with cheerful smiles. I was struck with an odd sense of curiosity, wondering what life would be like if I had been a civilian rather than a shinobi born for the sole purpose of destruction. I imagined waking up early with my siblings to get ready in the morning, going to school with friends and playing with them after class, coming home to have my mother bestow a kiss upon my forehead while she asked me how my day went before starting dinner, then running out with Temari and Kankurō to meet my father at the door from work, and he swept us up in his arms as we cheered with delight...

Such things would never happen, of course. Reality was much different, to say the least, yet I wouldn't have it any other way. I do wish I could have met my mother, but aside from things such as that, I believe my experiences made me who I am today. The pain, the loneliness, the insanity... It all allows me to understand people; it has given me a greater sense of perspective and sympathy than the average person, and to me that is invaluable.

"Here! Pass it!" I heard laughter coming from a nearby alleyway. I curiously peered around the corner to see a group of children playing what appeared to be free-for-all soccer, since there seemed to be no separate teams. One particularly exuberant boy ran up and punted the ball into the air, where it landed on the roof and got caught in the rain gutter. I was once again hit with that odd sensation of déjà vu, the nostalgia nearly palpable.

"Oh crap! What do we do?" _What do we do now?_

"Maybe I can sneak out my dad's ladder..." _We haven't mastered wall climbing yet..._

It was sickeningly familiar, this scene. I was tempted to walk away if only to avoid this situation again but I felt the odd urge to help... And so I decided I would try again.

A cloud of sand lifted to fetch the ball at my will, and dropped it in my awaiting hands. The children watched it with wide eyes, mouths agape, before their gazes settled on the person holding the ball: myself. I took a careful step forward as I gauged their reactions, and they eyed me warily before the one boy met me halfway. I could see the uncertainty flickering in his gaze, and the way he fiddled with his hands betrayed his nervousness while he tried to act confident.

_"You... You're..."_

_"Gaara... Sabaku no Gaara!"_

_"Run for it!" The other children ran for their lives, screaming and scrambling to get away from me._

_"Wait!" I pleaded desperately. "Don't leave me alone! I don't want to be alone anymore..."_

It still hurt, these memories. I remembered it as if it were only yesterday. During these moments of reverie I noticed that I had been staring at the children all the while, and they shifted uncomfortably. My intent gaze seemed to unnerve them - evidently I had this effect on most people - and I quickly handed over the ball before he could run away like the children from my past had. Regardless of what was thought of me, it felt like the right thing to do.

I turned away to go elsewhere when I felt a light tug on my sleeve.

"Thanks, mister!" The boy grinned timidly, and the other children circled behind him with smiles of their own. I felt my eyes widen in surprise at the level of trust they showed to me, a stranger... _Friends help each other_, Naruto had once told me; perhaps this was the reason for their display of amity towards an outsider like myself. Regardless, and though I would never admit it, I was slightly moved. The feeling of déjà vu had vanished, for this was completely different.

"You're welcome." I said with a nod, and I felt a small smile tug at my lips as they ran off to continue playing. I left the alleyway in content bemusement. Acts of unprecedented kindness, or favors, can be repaid with amiability. It was another valuable learning experience to add to my others, I decided.

"Hey, Gaara!" Came a loud voice from down the street, and I turned to see Naruto jogging up to me. "What are you doing down here? Everyone's waiting at Ichiraku's already! Come on, dattebayo!" I allowed myself to be dragged away by the boisterous blonde Leaf shinobi, who was pulling incessantly at my arm. I glanced at the bright grin on his face and could literally feel the waves of mirth radiating from him. It was an almost contagious sensation, and I couldn't help but look forward to the evening to come.

And what a taxing evening it would prove to be in the end.

* * *

I peered down into the glass of water in front of me - I had politely declined to ordering the ramen concoction, despite Naruto's dismay - and lightly fingered the perspiration that had built up on the exterior surface, the cool wetness seeping into the flesh of my fingertips. Kankurō sat to my left while Sakura was seated to my right, Naruto next to her, and Lee occupying the proceeding stool. Both Temari and Shikamaru had not-so inconspicuously disappeared together, leaving me with a rather vibrant group of people. I cringed more and more with each passing second as Naruto's voice grew louder and louder.

"Can you believe it?! A jōnin sensei! _Me!_ I don't know if I should laugh or cry!" The jinchūriki whined.

"Well, it's a prerequisite to become Hokage. All Hokage have had at least a single pupil if not a full team to pass down their renowned skills. It's a traditional right of passage, and if you really want to become Hokage that badly then it's unavoidable." Sakura informed wisely, swirling the contents of her bowl with her chopsticks. Naruto pouted in response.

"But only the really old shinobi have genin teams, like Kakashi-sensei!" I saw Sakura hide a snicker behind her hand, biting her bottom lip to repress it.

"In Suna it depends on your skill level rather than ranking or age as to whether or not you become a sensei. Temari was about your age when she took on her first students. I was fifteen when I was forced to take some of those snots under my wing, and I hate little kids." Kankurō gave an overly dramatic sneer at the last part, but despite his overall dislike of youngsters I knew he secretly enjoyed teaching the new generations of Sunan shinobi. He had been inwardly thrilled to share the art of puppetry with others who were eager to learn; it was his passion, after all.

"I was thirteen when I became a sensei. Then again, I only had a single student." I offered, deciding to take part in the conversation if only a little.

"Yeah, but you became Kazekage soon after. How old were you again? Sixteen?"

"Fifteen." I corrected, and Naruto crossed his arms with a huff.

"You had it easy!" The blonde eyed me with jealousy and I cocked a brow in amusement. "_Obviously_ becoming Kazekage isn't nearly as difficult as becoming Hokage, datteba-" I promptly stuffed his mouth full of sand, resulting in riotous laughter from everyone else as Naruto sputtered and coughed, rubbing his tongue with a napkin in vain before guzzling down some water. He glared at me while I avoided his gaze and feigned innocence, though I couldn't help the small smirk that tugged at my lips.

"Ah, to have my own team of genin! What a joy it'd be to teach the younger generations the power of youth!" Lee declared, tears of joy running down his face.

"What about you? Ever thought of having your own team, Sakura-sensei?" Kankurō leered with a wink at the pink-haired kunoichi beside me, and I felt the sudden, inexplicable urge to stuff his mouth with sand as well. Needless to say, Naruto and Lee were not amused with his flirting with their love interest. Before Sakura could utter a word they yelled over her, cutting off whatever it was she was about to say with utter disregard.

"I-"

"Hey, back off Sakura-chan! Go play with your dolls or something, dattebayo!"

"But-"

"I will not let you dishonor the beautiful Sakura-san!"

"Shānnarō!" Cried an enraged kunoichi and I shrunk back into my seat involuntarily, my instincts of self-preservation taking over. Three resounding smacks could be heard as Kankurō, Naruto, and Lee all sported matching bumps on their heads, angry and red, inflamed and swollen. Collective groans of pain could be heard as each victim rubbed their aching head, and I met Sakura's gaze cautiously. She smiled sheepishly and rubbed the back of her neck, embarrassed by her outburst.

"So, uh... Nice weather we're having!" She laughed somewhat forcefully. I nodded back encouragingly if only to refrain from angering her further.

The rest of dinner went by without a problem, seeing as Kankurō kept his lecherous mouth shut, Naruto became more upbeat and less sulky, and Lee remained reserved enough to keep his love declarations to himself. Naruto had challenged Kankurō to a ramen-eating contest, resulting in two queasy looking shinobi on the verge of throwing up. Sakura, disgusted, refused to help either of them with the pain that indigestion brought, and I attempted to ignore them while halfheartedly listening to Lee go into detail about his new training tactics. Twenty-three bowls of ramen later and Kankurō surrendered, admitting defeat while trying to keep it all down. Naruto grinned in victory, though he wasn't looking much better.

Lee departed after bidding us goodnight, and as a result Kankurō insisted on ordering rounds of sake for the group since the green-clad shinobi had left. He decided to seek revenge in the form of a drinking contest with Naruto, which my brother ultimately won. Kankurō eventually staggered back to the hotel to sleep off the alcohol, leaving only me, Naruto, and Sakura behind. I was relieved, assuming the rest of the night would be peaceful. Looking back I really should have known better, considering Naruto was involved.

"I think I bit off more than I can chew..." Naruto groaned; it seemed he didn't have a strong alcohol tolerance, for it only took him a dozen shots of sake to render him useless. He slouched in his stool, a shadow of general disdain on his usually cheerful face.

"You always bite off more than you can chew." Sakura mumbled, her single bowl of halfway-eaten ramen long since sent away. A light blush crossed her cheeks, leading me to believe that, while she wasn't nearly as intoxicated as Naruto, she was indeed what they call 'tipsy'. Taking occasional sips from the sake before her, I realized I hadn't taken even a single sip from my own.

"Whether it's on or off the battlefield." She added after a moments thought.

"We always pull through though, right? Whether it was the Chūnin Exams, the Fourth Shinobi World War, defeating Madara... Things always end well for us." Naruto claimed nonchalantly. I couldn't help but be struck by the naivety of his words, with a tinge of something akin to... Arrogance. My brow creased slightly; this was very unlike Naruto. Perhaps the alcohol was to blame, I concluded, making him slightly cynical. It seemed Sakura was also bothered by his words and sudden change in demeanor.

"You always throw yourself into harms way without a second thought, regardless of how it affects me or anyone else. You always have to be the martyr." She said lowly, staring at the table top as if remembering something from long past. I frowned, noting the negative direction this conversation was heading.

"I just want everyone to be safe. I want everyone home." Naruto stressed, and Sakura immediately stiffened.

"Not everyone can be safe. People die everyday, Naruto. Sometimes people betray, and some things just can't be forgiven." She replied so quietly I almost thought I had misheard her.

"I'm not gonna run away and I never go back on my word; that's my nindō! My ninja way, dattebayo!" Naruto countered heatedly, and I noticed the drastic change in the atmosphere; how the air had suddenly tensed. Sakura remained silent, staring down at her drink with an unreadable expression. Where had the lighthearted mood gone, I wondered with slight apprehension. I felt the sudden urge to flee, but I remained silently seated.

"You say that like it's a good thing. You know what your problem is? You don't know how to choose your battles wisely. You don't know how to just let go."

"Letting go is the same thing as giving up, and I'll never do that. I won't give up, not ever. Especially not on the things that matter." Naruto said in a surprisingly bitter tone, yet it didn't seem to affect Sakura much. I continued to pretend I was not there, wishing I could just disappear.

"Sometimes you have to know when to back down. Some things - some _people_ - just aren't worth the effort." Her words were strained and clipped as she continued to stare into her cup, intentionally avoiding Naruto's intense gaze.

"Come on Sakura-chan, you gotta have hope!"

"It's not going to happen, Naruto."

"He'll come back; I gave you my word! Whether he walks back through those gates willingly or I drag him back forcefully, I promised you-"

"_Shut the hell up already_!" Sakura cut him off, voice raising to a yell. She had whipped her head around to glare at him, her wide green eyes glossy yet full with such an intense anger I had yet to see on her. Naruto flinched at her harsh tone, the hurt and confusion visible in his expression, and she took a sharp intake of breath before looking away, gripping the tabletop fiercely. A twinge of regret flashed in her eyes though she said no more, her jaw clenched tightly. A heavy moment of silence ensued and for once I found it suffocatingly uncomfortable; I now knew the real dilemma at hand. It was about _him_... I refrained from even thinking his name, just as they avoided speaking it out loud.

"Sakura-chan..."

"Don't, Naruto... Please... Just stop." She said quietly, dipping her hand into her skirt pocket to retrieve her wallet. Leaving some money on the counter, Sakura turned and briskly walked away without another word. Naruto reached out for her, prepared to pursue her, but I held him back by the arm. He turned a questioning gaze toward me, the hurt still evident in his eyes, but I shook my head.

"Perhaps it'd be best to leave her alone for now." I let out carefully, and Naruto chewed his bottom lip with indecision before slumping back down in his seat dejectedly. He sighed warily after a moment, his normally vibrant ocean eyes now a dull, slightly bloodshot blue.

"I don't understand her. I mean, I get that she's angry - I am too - but with her it's different... She's supposed to _love_ him." A double-edged sword in Naruto's case, I noted with pity. I took a moment to ponder Naruto's words in silence. Sakura had a deep infatuation for the Uchiha, rooted in his supposed good looks, cunning, cool attitude, and prodigious talents. But as time progressed she began to recognize him as a real person with imperfections, and developed a more sincere desire to be there for him, and later fell in love with him. Then he had left, and everything changed... No doubt, she still had feelings for him; that much was obvious. She may even love him still, despite everything leading up to now, yet she was not the same as before. Sakura may indeed love the Uchiha, but she ultimately chose loyalty and safety of the village over him. In fact, she was being more realistic than Naruto was in this sense. While Naruto's undying loyalty to his friends was admirable, he failed to see the larger picture and the threat that the Uchiha posed to everything and everyone around him.

"Sometimes love just isn't enough." I noted with doleful realization. Naruto opened his mouth like he wanted to disagree, but instead he remained silent. What a way to end the evening, I mused with a frown. And so much for never going to bed angry. Stealing a sidelong glance out the corner of my eye to observe Naruto's morose form, I pondered how I could lighten his spirits, if that was even possible at this point.

I opened my mouth to speak, and say what, I'm not sure, but Naruto beat me to it.

"He's close." My eyes widened in surprise before doubt took over, and I quietly urged him to go on.

"I overheard Baa-chan the other day. There's been sightings of him recently nearby; he's on the move." Naruto elaborated, and I sat there in stunned silence. So the Uchiha was finally going to act - he had only been planning for two whole years. Technically he was only against Konoha, but with the nations all being allies this affected everyone. It could even be the start of the Fifth Shinobi World War, if it escalated enough. I was surprised and slightly angry that I hadn't been told of this matter; I would have to bring it up with the Hokage the next time we met, I decided.

"When I confronted her about it she told me it was highly confidential, but I persuaded her to let me on the retrieval team with Kakashi-sensei. The mission is to either incapacitate Uchiha Sasuke and bring him back to the village for a trial, or at the very least prevent his escape in any way possible..." He finished quietly. It now made sense why he was so passionate earlier when arguing with Sakura, since the last battle was now nearing. Six years worth of conflict regarding Team Seven alone was coming to an end, finally. Yes, I would definitely bring this matter up with Tsunade the next chance I had.

"What does Sakura think?" I asked, and a flash of trepidation flickered in his blue depths. He looked away guiltily and I blinked in realization.

"You haven't told her." It wasn't a question.

"If I told her then she would want to come along."

"She is part of Team Seven, it is understandable that she'd like to be included." I remarked dryly, missing the point. Naruto shook his head with a frown.

"Sakura-chan has given up on Sasuke-teme. She doesn't want to bring him back, she wants to kill him on sight. She's already tried twice and failed." I was once again surprised. Sakura had attempted to kill the Uchiha not once, but twice? While I didn't particularly agree with Naruto wanting to bring him back to Konoha, I did understand his point in not wanting Sakura there for his retrieval if all she would do was impede the mission objective.

"When do you leave?" I inquired.

"A few days after the Chūnin Exams, a little more than a week from now."

"You do realize that Sakura will notice Hatake's and your absence. She is likely to pick up on the fact that Team Seven has left on a mission without her, even if she doesn't know the details of the mission."

"That's why Baa-chan didn't tell _me_ in the first place, but I couldn't just sit around for all of this! I don't know what to do... Sakura-chan and I have been on rough terms lately, probably because she can sense that I'm hiding something from her. I'm not a good liar you know, and Sakura-chan is really smart so she's bound to figure out that something's up. I have to do something so that she won't find out, won't get involved or get hurt..."

"Sakura wouldn't stand a chance against the Uchiha." I murmured in grim realization, and Naruto flinched as if physically stricken. The amount of pain on his face at the thought of his two beloved teammates trying to kill each other in cold blood made me regret the words I said.

"I know... And that's the other reason why she shouldn't - why she _can't_ - come along." I nodded in understanding. If Sakura went on this mission then not only could she potentially foil the objective, but she could get hurt or even killed. The same applied to Hatake and Naruto. It was a very grave issue, indeed. Yet I didn't know how Naruto could pull this off without her noticing anything was amiss.

"What do I do?" Naruto groaned despairingly, his voice muffled in his hands as he rubbed his face.

"I don't think there's a way for her not to find out eventually, but perhaps the Hokage could order her to stay within the confines of the village for the time being." I suggested, but Naruto shook his head.

"Sakura-chan has a temper that rivals even Baa-chan's. She wouldn't stay put if she really wanted to go. I need to think of a way to keep this a secret from her, at least until Sasuke-teme's back or..." The alternative hung heavily between us like a dark cloud.

"I'll help in whatever ways I can, though I'm afraid I can't do much in this situation." I concluded, wishing I could do more for my friends. Naruto's brow furrowed in thought with his lips pursed in a thoughtful line and I could see the gears turning in his head, when he lit up with excitement. I looked at him with curious expectancy, slightly baffled at his sudden change in demeanor. He certainly was quick to rebound - he always was.

Naruto's bright eyes, full of mischief, slid over to me as a grin spread across his face. My eyes narrowed in suspicion. Perhaps I shouldn't have offered my help after all, with whatever he had in mind.

"You know, Gaara, there is one thing that _could_ work... But I'm gonna need your help." I scowled at the overly dramatic, pleading expression on his face and prepared myself for what he was about to say next. Giving a final, quiet sigh, I eyed him warily.

"What is it?" Naruto grinned in victory, and I repressed a groan of defeat.

* * *

A/N: Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto; all rights belong to Kishimoto Masashi.

Big shout outs to** Nee-han93**,** BetterThanLove**, **Marvelouss**, and **andi104** for reviewing! I dedicate this chapter to you and all the new people who favorite-d and are following. As always, thanks to the editor/boyfriend. ;)

**Important issue**: this is my first T-rated story. It may evolve and become M-rated in later chapters, for violence, gore, and perhaps sexual content. I would like to know if you are comfortable/supportive with this becoming an M-rated story later on, or if I should keep it strictly T-rated? I'll make this decision based on your opinions, if you voice them. **T-rated or M-rated?** Your choice; review and tell me what you think.

In other news, this story has been somewhat lighthearted so far. We will later delve into the more serious, angsty section of the story. There will be lots of angst... Heavily laced with heartache... Also, I am quite fond of cliff hangers. I end most chapters with one, to heighten suspense. Don't hate me for it! xP Note: I am in no way responsible for ulcers, heart attacks, strokes, or any other medical conditions caused by said angst. Read at your own risk. ;P


	4. Chapter 3

**: CHAPTER THREE :**

* * *

I still couldn't believe Tsunade had actually agreed to this. The very notion was baffling, even to me, and I considered myself to be quite open minded most of the time. It was only once in a long while, on occasion, that I could find myself genuinely shocked.

This was one such occasion.

Though, looking back, perhaps this was where it had all started.

After Naruto had informed me of his rather crazed idea, he had fled with a hurried good night over his shoulder to rush off to who knows where (though if I had to guess he'd have gone to the Hokage, if the resounding commotion was any indication). Since he had left me by myself, I proceeded to turn in for the night... When I noticed the blonde had left me with the bill. With a patient sigh I relented and paid it, like I imagined a good friend would.

I left after the amiable ramen chef had bid me good night, urging me to visit again, to which I neutrally nodded at. As my feet led me through Konoha once more to return to the hotel, I pondered over whether or not Naruto's plan would actually work. In theory it was a solid short term plan, but in the end it was still only delaying the inevitable. Sakura would eventually find out about the mission and Sasuke's return- or his demise- and along with it, Naruto's deception. I could only imagine what her reaction would be once she realized this...

I was pulled out of my thoughts by the sound of a tree crashing to the ground with a clamorous boom in the distance, off a small ways away. Perhaps it wasn't any of my business but I'd always had an insatiable curiosity that I couldn't seem to resist, and so I secretly sought out the source of the sound. It wasn't a bad thing at all- rather, what if it was an enemy? I decided I would check just in case. If not, then I would merely observe for a little while to eliminate the possibility of danger, then be on my way.

The last thing I had expected to see upon coming into that clearing of the training grounds was a pink haired kunoichi destroying the surrounding environment with nothing but taijutsu. The ground beneath me trembled precariously as her foot connected with it, the surface literally doing a ripple-effect before being violently uprooted from the spot. She let out a battle cry as her fist obliterated a rather large boulder into hundreds of tiny shards. Several of the pieces, sharpened from the impact, stuck into the dirt similar to the way a kunai would have if directly thrown into the ground. I was once again surprised, for the second time that night.

A green fire lit up her eyes, the moonlight casting her skin in a pale glow, and her dampened hair stuck from the perspiration on her body. Graceful limbs, lean yet toned from her endeavors, moved in a way that could almost be considered artistic. I found it to be quite entertaining to watch, despite the small voice at the back of my mind that insisted I was invading her privacy. Fascination overrode it at that moment, for I was too entranced to even move.

I was hit with a sudden notion that she wasn't just simply training- no, she was dancing. Dancing as an outlet for her turbulent emotions, not meant for anyone else to see, which somehow made it all the more intriguing. I was amused with the conflicting natures of her style- she was like an explosion, leaving only ruin in her wake in such a fierce manner, yet she did it with such refined grace that it was almost forgivable; she was a destroyer on the surface, but with the heart of a healer.

The irony was not lost on me.

I watched her practice forms and spar with herself for a few stolen moments more in silence, noting the utmost fluidity in her movements. It was obvious upon mere observation that she had spent countless hours training herself, though I had expected nothing less from a Leaf shinobi of her caliber. I nodded approvingly, knowing that there was no threat here, and proceeded to go back to the hotel without her ever knowing of my presence.

That night as I closed my eyes to sleep, I somehow knew with a strange certainty what (or rather, _whom_) I would dream of... My previous assumption did not disappoint as I woke the next morning headache free.

* * *

"Bring her in." Tsunade ordered the ANBU at her side.

"Yes, Hokage-sama." And with that, the guard was gone without a trace. We were left alone in her office; it was finally time.

"Are you sure about this?" Tsunade asked me one last time. I nodded a single time in finality, having thought over the plan many times over the last few days.

"It seems to be the most efficient solution for the problem at hand," I assented, "though I do have one condition."

"What is it?" The Hokage asked civilly.

"I wish to be kept updated on the mission regarding Uchiha, however long that may be." I replied assertively in a tone that left no room for argument. She turned to me and cocked a blonde brow in question.

"Why?" She asked out of curiosity. Why indeed, I thought sarcastically. But curiosity got the best of us all, if my actions the previous night were any indication. I decided to enlighten her regardless.

"Since you are seeking out my help regarding this rather delicate, not to mention dangerous, matter, I will not be kept in the dark. I will be informed throughout the entirety of this mission."

"Naturally..." Tsunade hummed to herself, red-painted fingers tapping her chin in contemplation. But I wasn't done yet.

"Personally, I think it would be wise to alert the other Kage. It would be irresponsible to mishandle this kind of information." I spoke with an air of careful neutrality, yet there was a serious undertone in my words. I was still slightly angered that all of this had been kept a secret within Konoha's walls despite the fact that it potentially affected everyone in the shinobi world, and my words wavered slightly with the indignation simmering to the surface. Tsunade at least had the decency to look ashamed as she shifted in her seat.

"I understand your concern, but I didn't want to alert everyone only for the situation to be resolved personally. I was waiting until I had more information at hand to tell the other Kage about." She explained, and I scrutinized her carefully. I nodded eventually, though I was still bothered.

"If I were to officially announce these affairs, then a plan of keeping Sakura in the dark would be a useless act anyway." She continued, and my eyes narrowed in thought. To keep these important matters secret to the other Kage so that one Leaf shinobi wouldn't get involved? It would be downright selfish to incline on the second option, I realized. But until things escalated, it wouldn't hurt to keep this between me and the Hokage.

"A decision can only be made based on the outcome of this mission." I concluded, and Tsunade let out a sigh of relief at my compliance. I was more than content with her indirect affirmation and settled back into the chair, arms held loosely and comfortably across my chest, while I waited for Sakura's arrival. It wasn't long until a knock came from the other side of the door.

"Come on in, Sakura." Tsunade called, and the door opened slowly to reveal the pink haired girl.

"You summoned me, shishou?" Sakura asked as she let herself in, standing in front of the Hokage's desk. I silently observed the scene from where I sat in a nearby chair when her eyes flicked toward me, curious as to why she was here.

"Kazekage-sama." She acknowledged, and I nodded formally before her gaze settled back on Tsunade.

"I've called you here to give you an assignment." The Hokage replied, and Sakura blinked in surprise.

"An assignment? As in, a mission?"

"Of sorts, except you won't be paid. Think of it more as... _Training_." Tsunade said vaguely. I watched their encounter carefully, waiting for the news to be broken.

"What training?" Sakura wondered out loud, sounding pleasantly excited at the mention of what she assumed was a new technique.

"There are many things that I am not able to teach you, Sakura, because of my duties as Hokage and the fact that I just can't teach you everything there is to know. If you wish to continue growing stronger then you must be open to new experiences of your own- _on_ your own; personally, I find it to be most effective." Sakura appeared to be getting antsy with all the beating around the bush.

"What are you suggesting, shishou?"

"Are you familiar with the Shinobi Exchange Program?"

"Of course. It is a program that started after the Fourth Shinobi World War to foster friendship between nations and increase overall shinobi performance. A shinobi from one nation is traded with a shinobi from another nation for a certain length of time..." She answered automatically, though her words started to slow down as she thought more about just what Tsunade was insinuating. Her face betrayed her confusion, pink brows creasing slightly.

"Do you mean to tell me that you are shipping me off to some other nation?" Sakura asked guardedly, and Tsunade grinned devilishly.

"You haven't lived outside the village in your whole life. I think it would do you some good, don't you think?"

"Shishou, this is so sudden... So unprecedented-" Sakura started frantically.

"You need some time to focus on your own training away from the village. I did it, as did Jiraiya, and even Naruto. There is no doubt in my mind that you will come back a stronger shinobi because of it." Sakura opened her mouth to retort but soon shut it upon Tsunade's words. Her brow creased contemplatively the more she thought about it.

"But what about my apartment?"

"I'll see to it personally that it will be taken care of." Tsunade supplied without hesitation.

"And the hospital?"

"What a big head you have! You don't think the hospital can run without you?" Tsunade barked with a laugh, and Sakura flushed in embarrassment. She was far from amused, if the indignant huff from her was any clue.

"I'm just kidding, Sakura. Don't worry, the hospital will be fine. And if Konoha needs you for any reason, then you can always file an issue to visit." Tsunade assured.

"What about the paperwork? Things like this take weeks to put into motion! Even months!" Sakura insisted dramatically, grasping for any straws as she fumbled for excuses.

"The official documentation has already been filed. You only need to sign," Tsunade shuffled around some papers on her desk before pulling out the appropriate one, "_here_." Sakura stood with her mouth slightly agape, stunned.

"But... But... What about... Naruto! What about Naruto? He'll freak out!" Sakura claimed as a desperate final attempt to save herself. Little did she know, Naruto was the one behind all of this. I promptly kept my mouth shut; Tsunade merely snorted.

"Oh, don't you worry about that loudmouth. I'll take care of him..." she muttered with anything but consolation. Sakura opened her mouth to retort but nothing came out. Her shoulders slumped with resignation as reality began to sink in.

"...Where will I be going?" She asked carefully, showing a shred of receptiveness to the idea. A pleased grin slid across Tsunade's features as her eyes flicked over to me expectantly. Sakura followed her gaze, which clouded with confusion when it landed upon me. I quietly cleared my throat.

"As Kazekage, I invite you to stay in Sunagakure." I stated professionally and shortly with a polite nod. Perhaps I had only imagined it, but Sakura almost seemed relieved. Perhaps she was appeased with the fact that she would be staying somewhere familiar, with people she knew. For some reason, I had pride in this fact.

"See? You won't be too far away. It's not like I'm shipping you off to Amegakure or something. Now, perk up. It's rude to stand there like a gaping goldfish." Tsunade snapped, and Sakura stood up straight accordingly.

"Yes, shishou," the pinkette confirmed with a polite nod, albeit reluctant. "Thank you very much for having me, Kazekage-sama. I appreciate your hospitality." She continued with a respectful bow my way. I merely nodded once more.

"I hope you find your stay to be beneficial in the years to come. There are many things Sunagakure has to offer-"

"_For the years to come_?" She demanded dubiously as her head whipped towards her teacher, formalities suddenly dropped. I was actually glad she interrupted me; I rather disliked such standard, droning, _welcoming_ speeches. The verbal style was never my own to begin with. I turned my attention to the scene in front of me with interest.

"A single year at the very least," Tsunade replied offhandedly. "And who knows... Maybe you'll end up liking it and want to stay longer." She added thoughtfully. Truth be told, we hadn't actually settled on a date for her return to Konoha. Had she looked over the contract more thoroughly Sakura would have noticed this. Regardless, whenever Naruto's mission was over (be it a success or a failure) would be when Sakura could go back home... But she didn't have to know that. She couldn't.

"But..." She let out with a frown marring her features, out of excuses. She seemed to radiate helplessness, the atmosphere dismal.

"A year isn't that long, Sakura. And you have your reasons for wanting to get stronger..." Tsunade trailed off, meeting her pupil's eyes with words unspoken. They seemed to be conversing only with their gazes alone, which piqued my curiosity. Sakura's demeanor changed then, as if she had an epiphany. When she looked back up she displayed an unshakeable determination. She gave a firm nod.

"Right... When do I leave?" She asked, her tone coming out strained though she tried to be civil.

"You will depart from Konoha with the Kazekage's party after the Chūnin Exams are officially over, three days from now." Tsunade informed. At Sakura's look of repressed nerves, the Hokage sighed. "Oh come on, it's not like you'll be gone forever! You can visit and write letters, not to mention that you are _required_ to send me an official report of your progress every month."

"I know, I know... I'll do it. I'll get stronger for Konoha, and myself." Sakura vowed with a nod. Her determination reminded me of Naruto and I felt my lips quirk in amusement. Tsunade nodded approvingly. Sakura opened her hand when Tsunade offered the pen, and the pinkette put her name down accordingly in the space provided without noticing that there was no specified return date. I inwardly frowned at the subterfuge she was unknowingly exposing herself to. But, then again, it was partially her own fault for failing to read over the paperwork to begin with. Her face held an intense look as she signed herself away to the mercy of another village... To my village, and ultimately, to _me_. Did I feel a tad guilty for taking part in this deception? Yes. But I'd rather trick a living Sakura then be honest to a dead one.

"Very good. You have three days to say your good byes; pack up your belongings and head out. I suggest you go get ready." Tsunade waved her off dismissively.

"Yes, shishou." Sakura nodded before walking towards the door. She stopped then, her hand resting on the frame, and looked back to meet my gaze. A polite smile graced her lips.

"Thank you." With an edge of purpose in her movements, she departed without another word. When her footsteps could no longer be heard from the hallway, Tsunade sighed wearily and rubbed her eyes.

"Well, that went a lot better than I thought it would." She let out. I gave short nod in acknowledgement, silently agreeing. Things had gone unexpectedly well. I had prepared myself for the Fifth Shinobi World War to break out between teacher and student there in the Hokage's office, but Sakura had taken the news surprisingly well.

"It's what's best for her..." It sounded more like a question rather than a statement, as if she was asking for affirmation. The uncertainty and guilt behind her words was evident from her tone of voice.

"Yes, it is." I confirmed solemnly.

* * *

Deception. Beguilement. Bluff, mystification and subterfuge. These are all acts to propagate beliefs that are not true, or not the whole truth (as in half-truths or omission). Deception can involve dissimulation, propaganda, and sleight of hand, as well as distraction, camouflage, or concealment. There is also self-deception, as in bad faith.

There are five types of deception.

The first type is lying: making up information or giving information that is the opposite or very different from the truth.

The second type is equivocation: making an indirect, ambiguous, or contradictory statement.

The third type is concealment: omitting information that is important or relevant to the given context, or engaging in behavior that helps hide relevant information.

The fourth type is exaggeration: overstatement or stretching the truth to a degree.

The fifth and final type of deception is understatement: minimization or downplaying aspects of the truth.

In this case, of the deception of Sakura, all five would come into play at some point in time.

Despite my rather dark past, I had never actually deceived someone before. I had always been honest, as brutally as possible in fact, and I twisted the seemingly innocent virtue to my utmost advantage. I learned from an early age that the truth was not always a good thing, to say the least, and that it had the potential to destroy people as it had once shattered my own fragile mind long ago. Honesty was an incredibly dangerous weapon in itself, and so it became an invaluable psychological asset to me.

Truthfulness is an aspect I kept even after I became Kazekage, albeit used more sincerely this time around. It was an intricate irony that I was protecting someone with deception where I used to inflict pain upon people with the truth, I mused. This brings me to my next point.

There are three primary motivations for deceptions in close relationships.

The first is known as partner-focused motives: using deception to avoid hurting a comrade, to help them to enhance or maintain his or her self-esteem, to avoid worrying the partner, and to protect the partner's relationship with a third party. Partner-motivated deception can sometimes be viewed as socially polite and relationally beneficial.

The second is self-focused motives: using deception to enhance or protect their self-image, wanting to shield themselves from anger, embarrassment, or criticism. Self-focused deception is generally perceived as a more serious transgression than partner-focused deception because the deceiver is acting for selfish reasons rather than for the good of the relationship.

The third is relationship-focused motives: using deception to limit relationship harm by avoiding conflict or relational trauma. Relationally motivated deception can be beneficial to a relationship, and other times it can be harmful by further complicating matters.

In this instance I believe that the first motive listed above aptly applies, given the situation, and maybe even the third as far as Naruto is concerned. But does this excuse such subterfuge? I had a feeling that Sakura certainly wouldn't think so when this was all over. Deception is a major relational transgression that often leads to feelings of betrayal and distrust between relational partners. Deception violates relational rules and is considered to be a negative violation of expectations. Most people expect friends, relational partners, and even strangers to be truthful most of the time. If people expected most conversations to be untruthful, talking and communicating with others would require distraction and misdirection to acquire reliable information.

Considering the seriousness of the situation and the depth of the deception at hand, despite the debatable justifiable motive, I doubt Sakura would be so forgiving. This would trouble someone expecting clemency to begin with, but as it was, I couldn't find it in myself to feel the slightest bit guilty.

It certainly was a good thing I wasn't at all looking for her forgiveness, I finally concluded. She would be angry when the truth came out. She would be violent with rage, cry with disbelief, hurt with the harsh sting of betrayal. She may even hate the people involved in the ploy, myself included, but there was no way around it. I could live with myself if she despised me; I could _not_ live with myself if I let one of my friends perish when I could have prevented it.

With these thoughts in mind, I walked through the doors of the Konoha Hospital with purpose. The preliminary rounds of the Chūnin Exams were now officially over. Out of the three teams from Suna that participated in them, only two passed. Of those six genin, only three passed the prelims and would participate in the final round. Altogether that left six of my genin eliminated- five of which were hospitalized in the process, though none of them had especially life-threatening injuries. Perhaps it was "beneath" a Kage to visit his wounded genin in the hospital (my father would have certainly thought so, as would many other more "traditional" Kage), but I felt inclined to check up on them. While none of them were in any real danger, it would be a morale booster to those who felt as if they had failed.

"Good afternoon. Would you please tell me what room the Suna genin are currently staying in?" I asked the receptionist at the counter. With a beam of cheerfulness, she happily agreed before flipping a few pages in the book that held the records I sought.

"It appears as though they are in room 114, Kazekage-sama." The woman said respectfully. I nodded.

"Thank you." I replied politely before turning down the nearest hallway. Thoroughly scanning the room numbers on the wall as I attempted to gain my bearings in the maze of a hospital, I failed to notice what appeared to be a stack of briskly walking binders that rounded the corner. Though the sudden collision only felt like a mere bump on my chest, the other person was thrown completely off balance to fall on the ground while the papers fluttered around in utter disarray. The binders were sent asunder, skidding a short distance down the hallway from the impact.

"I'm so sorry! I wasn't watching where I was going and... Gaara-kun?" I blinked as a pair of vibrant emerald eyes stared up at me in surprise. The last time I saw her had been one day ago in the Hokage's office. There was a stark difference in the two scenes, I noted. Before she had been dressed casually with her hair down, where as in the hospital she wore dark, claret colored scrubs and had her pink tresses pulled up in a short, spiky pony tail. It occurred to me then that when we collided she barely came up to my shoulders; was she really that much shorter than me? I hadn't noticed before.

Sakura cleared her throat and broke me from my thoughts. I shook my head slightly, perturbed that I could get lost in a reverie so easily. Sand leaked out from my gourd and tendrils snaked out to collect the scattered papers on the tile floor, bringing them up to my hands so that I could straighten them out. Sakura gathered the fallen binders and pushed herself off the floor accordingly to stand before me. I handed the papers over.

"Thanks. And I'm sorry..." She began, but I held a hand up to silence her.

"It was only an accident." I assured, and she gave me a grateful look.

"Well, I have to get to work. I'll see you tomorrow." It seemed as though she had finally come to terms with her arrangement, and for that I was glad. Sakura bid me good bye and I nodded in reply... But as we turned to walk away from each other, we found ourselves walking in the exact same direction, side by side. I allowed my mind to drift in the quiet. One more day and we'd set off to home; I was still unsure about what would happen with Sakura there. I supposed she'd like to help out at the hospital, if her appearance here was any indication, yet I didn't think she would truly hone any skills that way. Then again, as a shinobi under my authority, she could go out on official missions... Technically, she would be my shinobi at the time, but if she somehow got hurt then relations would be strained between Suna and Konoha.

I gave Sakura a sidelong glance to see her worrying her bottom lip and struggling with the many folders, obviously uncomfortable with the awkward silence. After reveling in it for a few moments, repressing my smirk as she grew antsier by the moment, I decided to put her out of her misery.

"Here." I said shortly, taking the top three binders off her hands before she could drop them or protest.

"T-thanks, but I could have handled it myself..." She half grumbled, half stuttered- though her words lacked true conviction.

"Do you know where room 114 is?" I inquired, changing the subject. Sakura looked up at me, surprise evident from her expression.

"Room 114? Yeah, that's where I'm headed now, actually... I was assigned to the group of injured Suna shinobi yesterday." What a coincidence, I mused to myself.

"You're here to check up on your genin." She stated in realization, and I gave a nod of affirmation. Sakura pursed her lips thoughtfully. After a moment of silence, she spoke again.

"I think that's very kind of you." She confessed softly, keeping her eyes ahead of her. I took the moment to observe her while her attention was diverted elsewhere.

"Thank you."

* * *

A/N: Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto; all rights belong to Kishimoto Masashi.

I am SO sorry for the wait! I like to take my time with this story in hopes of making it my best writing so far. I apologize if there isn't much action (yet). Since this is from Gaara's POV, you can expect a lot of introspection. That's why I chose to tell this from his POV in the first place. I am intrigued by what mysterious things may be going on inside the Kazekage's head, and I thoroughly enjoy writing what I think he may be like.

Shout outs to **Marvelouss** and **Conv****enient Alias** for reviewing! The only two who actually bothered to give me some feedback. ;P To all you lurkers out there, come join us! Big thanks to my beta-boyfriend for collaborating with me. ;)

**Important Issue:** Last chapter I asked whether or not I should up this story's rating to M. I am seriously thinking about it, considering that I usually write/read M stories anyway. Also, only one person offered their opinion and said I should go up to M. For now it will remain T, but it WILL go up to M eventually! Reasons for M? Violence, disturbing scenes, language, and maybe sexual content. I still haven't decided about the last one yet. But don't worry, I will give fair warning beforehand.


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